In-Vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Luffa cylindrica Leaves - Journal of ...

ISSN 2278- 4136ZDB-Number: 2668735-5IC Journal No: 8192Online Available at www.phytojournal.comJournal of Pharmacognosy and PhytochemistryIn-Vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Luffa cylindrica Leavesin Indian Adult EarthwormSangh Partap 1* , Saurabh Kumar 1 , Amit Kumar 1 , Neeraj K. Sharma 1 , K. K. Jha 11. College of Pharmacy, Teerthankar Mahaveer University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.[E-mail: sangh.partap@gmail.com]Different extracts of L. cylindrica were taken for anthelmintic activity against Indian earthworm Pheritimaposthuma. Two concentrations (50 and 100 mg/ml) of various extracts were tested and results were expressed interms of time for paralysis and time for death of worms. Albendazole (20 mg/ml) was used as reference standard andcarboxy methyl cellulose (0.5%) as a control group. Dose dependent activity was observed in the plant extracts butmethanolic extract exhibited more activity as compared to others. The anthelmintic activity of Luffa cylindricaleaves extract has therefore been demonstrated for the first time.Keyword: Anthelmintic, Luffa cylindrica, Pheretima posthuma, Methanolic extract.1. IntroductionHelminthes infections, repeatedly entitledhelminthiasis are among the most pervasiveinfection and a foremost degenerative diseasedistressing a large proportion of world’spopulation. In developing countries, they pose alarge threat to public health and contribute to theprevalence of malnutrition, anemia, eosinophilliaand pneumonia [1] . The helminths parasitesmainly subsist in human body in intestinal tract,but they are also found in tissue, as their larvaemigrate towards them [2] . Most diseases caused byhelminths are of a chronic, debilitating nature;they probably cause more morbidity and greatereconomic and social deprivation among humansand animals than any single group of parasites.Chemical control of helminthes coupled withimproved management has been the importantworm control strategy throughout the world.However, development of resistance inhelminthes [3,4] against conventional anthelminticsis a foremost problem in treatment of helminthesdiseases [5,6] . Henceforth it is important to look foralternative strategies against gastrointestinalnematodes, which have led to the proposal ofscreening medicinal plants for their anthelminticactivity.Luffa [L.cylindrica(L.) Roem syn L. aegyptiacaMill] commonly called sponge gourd, loofa,vegetable sponge, bath sponge or dish clothgourd, is a member of cucurbitaceous family. Theplant is widely distributed throughout India. Itsfruit is used in the traditional medicine as ananthelmentic, carminative, laxative, depurative,emollient, expectorant, and diuretic andlactagogue and are useful in fever, syphilis,tumours, bronchitis, splenopathy and leprosy [7] .It is used as a vegetable either prepared likesquash or eaten raw like cucumbers [8,9] . Its seedshave been used in the treatment of asthma,sinusitis and fever [10] . The seed oil is reported toVol. 1 No. 2 2012 www.phytojournal.com Page | 27

Sangh Partapbe used for skin infections in the form of tincture.The fruit used in the treatment of ascites, jaundiceand billiary and intestinal colitis and also inenlarged spleen and liver. The plant is reputed tohave anti tubercular and antiseptic properties. Theextract of leaves has been used in snake- bites.Keeping in mind such astounding propertiesexhibited by the plant, the present study wasintended to investigate anthelmintic activity ofmethanolic and aqueous extract of L.cylindrica(MELC & AELC) leaves in Indian earthworm.2. Material and Method2.1 Plant materialThe leaves of L.cylindrica were collected in themonth of July locally from Pakbara village,District Moradabad of Uttar Pradesh, India andwere authentified by Dr. Beena Kumari,Taxonomist, Hindu College, Moradabad (India)as L.cylindrica (Cucurbitaceae) leaves. A voucherspecimen has been kept in the herbarium(HC.MBD/HAP/BK/2010/5/168) of theDepartment of Botany, Hindu college,Moradabad (India).2.2 Experimental worms:All the experiments were carried out in Indianadult earthworms (Pheretima posthuma) due toits anatomical resemblance with the intestinalroundworm parasites of human beings. Theywere collected from moist soil and washed withwater to remove all fecal matters.2.3 Preparation of Extracts:The leaves of Luffa cylindrica were dried undershade and crushed in an electric blender to formcoarse powder and subjected to Soxhletextraction (Continuous hot extraction) by usingmethanol and water as solvent. The extracts wereconcentrated by rotary evaporator and used fortesting anthelmintic activity. Preliminaryphytochemical screening was carried out to assessthe presence of phytoconstituents in the extract.2.4 Administration of Albendazole:Albendazole (20 mg/ml) was prepared by using0.5% w/v of CMC as a suspending agent asadministered as per method of extract.2.5 Administration of extract:The suspension of Methanolic and aqueousextract of leaves of luffa cylindrica of differentconcentration (50,100mg/ml) were prepared byusing 0.5% w/v of CMC as a suspending agentand final volume was made up to 10 ml forrespective concentration. Albendazole was usedas standard. Groups of approximately equal sizeworms consisting of two earthworms individuallyin each group were released into in each 10 ml ofdesired concentration of drug and extracts in thepetridish.2.6 Experimental Design:The anthelmintic activity was performedaccording to the method [11] . On adult Indian earthworm Pheretima posthuma as it has anatomicaland physiological resemblance with the intestinalround worm parasites of human beings.Pheretima posthuma was placed in petridishcontaining two different concentrations (50&100mg/ml) of methanolic & aqueous extract ofleaves of luffa cylindrica. Each petridish wasplaced with 2 worms and observed for paralysisor death. Mean time for paralysis was noted whenno movement of any sort could be observed,except when the worm was shaken vigorously;the time death of worm (min) was recorded afterascertaining that worms neither moved whenshaken nor when given external stimuli. The testresults were compared with Reference compoundAlbendazole (20 mg/ml) treated samples.Vol. 1 No. 2 2012 www.phytojournal.com Page | 28

Sangh PartapTime in Minute12010080604020028.7158.90104.3105.289.0386.6663.2554.2244.945.55ParalysisDeathFig 1: Anthelmintic activity of luffa cylindrica leaves on Pheretima posthumaanthelmintic activity of methanol extracts couldbe due to the constituents present.The present study suggested that the methanolextract was more effective than the other extracts,even though all the extract were endowed withanthelmintic property. The activity wasconcentration dependent of the different extracts.The activity of the extracts was found to beinversely proportional to the time taken forparalyse / death of the earth worms.4. ConclusionThe results of the present study clearly indicatedthat the crude methanol extract of Luffacylindrica did produce anthelmintic activityagainst Indian earthworm Pheretima posthuma.The plant possesses significant anthelminticactivity at 100 mg/ml concentration measured bytime taken for paralyse / death of the earthworms. The current investigation leads toconclusion that the leaves of L.cylindrica havepotent anthelmintic activity when compared withthe conventionally used drug. The results did not,however, exclude the possibility that doses of theextract with lower anthelmintic activity in thisstudy might be efficacious against other speciesof helminths. Further studies using in vivo modelsand to isolate active constituents from extract arerequired to carry out and established theeffectiveness and pharmacological rational for theuse of L.cylindrica as an anthelmintic drug.5. Reference1. Bundy DA. Immunoepidemiology of intestinalhelminthic infection: The global burden ofintestinal nematode disease. Trans Royal Soc TropMed Hyg 1994; 8: 259-61.2. Tripathi, K.P. “Essentials of meditionalpharmacology”; 5th Edituin. Jaypee BrothersMedical Publishers (P) LTD., New Delhi, 2003; p.759.3. Coles G.C. Nematode control practices andanthelmintic resistance on British sheep farms.Vet. Rec. 1997; 141:91-93.,4. Geert S. and Dorny P. Anthelmintic resistance inhelminthes of animals of man in the tropics.Bulletin-des-Seances, Academic-Royaledes-Sciencesd. DutreMer. 1995; 3:401-423.5. Tagbota S., Townson S. Adv Parasitol, 2001;50:199-205.;6. Sondhi S.M., Shahu R., Magan Archana. IndianDrugs, 1994;31(7): 317-320.7. Prakash Yoganandam G , Ilango K, kumar sunil andElumalai A. In-vitro antioxidant activity ofL.cylindrica seeds oil, Journal of Global PharmaTechnology. 2010; 2(3): 93-97.8. Yang, Y., X. Ma, W. Wu and P. Guo, 1999. Biologicalcharacters of the different varieties for Luffacylindrica. Zhong Yao Cai, 22: 165–167;Vol. 1 No. 2 2012 www.phytojournal.com Page | 30

Sangh Partap9. Oboh, I.O. and E.O. Aluyor, 2009. Luffa cylindricaanemerging cash crop. African J. Agric. Res., 4:684–688.10. Nagao T, Lanaka R, Iwase Y, Hanazone H, Okabe H.Studies on the constituents of Luffa acutangulaRoxb. Clin. Pharm. Bull. 1991; 39:599-606.11. T Ghosh; TK Maity; A Bose; GK Dash. Indian .J.natProduct, 2009, 16-19.Vol. 1 No. 2 2012 www.phytojournal.com Page | 31